Part of a four-piece dress. Blue velvet laced belt; white mesh stiffener; lined in navy satin. 5/8" wide navy woven tape with tubular metal clamps at both ends for lacing belt closed using 10 round hand-stiched edged buttonholes, 3 metal stays, one in back, 2 at front opening. Velvet tab attached to inside folds across lacing hoes in front. Lower edge tapers to a slight "v" in the back and a deeper "V" in front.
Part of a four-piece dress. Blue velvet bodice with pointed lower front edges. Raw edges at collar, sleeves, and along waist/ bottom edge. Fronts have two bust darts. Right front has 21 buttonholes finished in buttonhole stitch. Left front has threads where buttons (now missing) had been sewn on. Front has batting between velvet and lining. Finely finished interior with 11 places for contour stays -4 have stays; 2 each front and 1 behind each underarm seam. 4 1/2 inch long brown fabric piece with 5 hooks inside right front; piece with 5 eyes on inside left front, attached at waist to reduce strain of buttons/ buttonholes. Brown twill tape as backing for buttons.
With garment are two lined tabs, tacked together. Metal pieces inside tips. 3-parallel lines of stitching around outline of both tabs. Top edges are raw, unfinished edges, White mesh stiffener between velvet and lining.
Orange-pink colored cherry wood table. Oblong rectangular top with rounded, carved ends. Top unlocks to tilt vertically. Turned spindle with egg-shaped center and three spreading legs. Circular brass locking mechanism on underside of top.
Made by Mr. Willson's gardener, John More, from a cherry tree on the Wheatland grounds.
Round, bowl-like base, rounded lip with curved, open, finger-handle ending in hole in which cone-shaped snuffer fits. Central candle holder, tall with 3 bands of 3 lines around. A vertical cut slot is on one side of the stem that has a curled lever to push the candle up in the stem as it is consumed by the flame.
Color print of Wheatland farm showing house surrounded by trees, fronted by two circular driveways, white fence, small spring at lower right corner. At back line of trees is a fence; back right is a white stable, two horses, and cow. To left, orchard. Black and white medallion of James Buchanan at top of print, taken from William McMaster's portrait of James Buchanan.
Color lithograph of Wheatland and grounds with seated Buchanan. Below: "Wheatland/the Country Residence of the Hon. James Buchanan, situated neat the City of Lancaster, Penn." "Drawn by J. F. Reigart...entered recording to Act of Congress in the year 1856 by J. F. Reigart, in the Clerks Office of the District Court of the United States in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania." Lith. L.N. Rosenthal cor. 5th & Chestnut, Phila.
J. F. Reigart, lithographer. Published by Edwin Clark.
Provenance
Information in object file states that the conservation and reframing of the piece was done by Lancaster Galleries in 2005. The cost was underwritten by Mrs. Dorothy B. Reynolds in memory of George K. Reynolds, Jr.
Part of a four-piece dress. Jacket: Short sleeves with cuffs. Dark blue velvet fully-lined in cream-colored silk with batting between two fabrics. 2 small leather-lined pockets on left inside. Hand-stiched strip on linging at lower edge right front. 3 hooks and thread-covered eyes at waist front. Parallel lines of sticthing on body at sleeve openings and at waist and on 3 bands around neck as well as front and silk at opening. Blue velvet strips have buttons in back and at tabbed ends on front. 4 tabbed front closure peices have buttons. Machine and hand-stitching.
